Tiger Woods drawn with Reed, Hoffman at Torrey Pines

Tiger Woods has eight professional wins at Torrey Pines, including the 2008 US Open. Photo: @PGATOUR via Twitter

LA JOLLA – Tiger Woods will return to the US PGA Tour on Thursday by playing alongside Patrick Reed and Charley Hoffman in the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

The 14-time major champion, whose eight professional wins at Torrey Pines include the 2008 US Open, will tee off on the South Course at 10.40am local time on Thursday, according to the tee times announced on Tuesday.

It will be his first US PGA Tour event since he missed the cut at the same tournament last year – when he was returning to the PGA Tour for a first start in 18 months.

Recurring back pain in his next tournament in Dubai cut short that comeback, leading to yet another back procedure and 10 months on the sidelines before Woods made a promising return at the unofficial Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.

Jon Rahm, who arrives for his title defence ranked No 2 in the world after winning the CareerBuilder Challenge at La Quinta, California on Sunday, will play one group ahead of Woods alongside former No 1 Jason Day of Australia and Brandt Snedeker, a two-time winner at Torrey Pines.

“It puts a little bit more on me,” Rahm said of the increased expectations he’ll carry after his victory in the California desert.

“I hoped it was going to be on Tiger the whole week and leave me a little bit alone, even though I was defending champion.